Printing mechanism.



PATENTED OCT. 29. 1907. F. G. JAHN;

PRINTING MECHANISM.

AYPLIOATION FILED 001.211.1906.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

mifivwsses: /%;i 04 y F PATENTED OUT. 29, 1907.

F. G. JAHN. PRINTING MECHANISM.

APPLIUATION FILED O0T.1l.1906.

4 SHEETBSHEET 2.

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i lza itnesses:

y/gEW PATEN'IED OCT. 29. 1907 P. G. JAHN. PRINTING MECHANISM.

APPLIOATION FILED 0OT.11,1906. I

4 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

Invert/i073 PATENTED OCT. 29. 1907.

F. G. JAHN.

PRINTING MECHANISM.

APPLIOATION FILED 0OT.11,1906.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

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UNITED STATES PATENT Osmon- FREDERICK o. .IAHN, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., Ass1oNOR TO THE INTERNATIONAL POSTAL SUPPLY COMPANY OF NEW YORK, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK, A CORPORATION OFNEW YORK.

PRINTING MECHANISM.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 2o, 1907.

Application filed October 11. 1906. Serial No. 338.369;

. 5 New York have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Printing M echanism, of which the following is a specification.

. The present invention relates generally to printing machines and more particularly to that class wherein the presence of the article to be printed governs the actual cooperation of the printing instrumentalities.

It has for its object to simplify the mechanism of such machines and thereby render them capable of being operated and cared for by inexperienced persons; to provide a carrier for the article being operated upon which in itself forms one member of the feeding, the printing, and the stacking devices whereby the article to be printed is taken from its feed position, through the printing positionand delivered at the stacking position without transferring control thereof;-

to render it possible in an article controlled printing mechanism to define and vary the point at which the printing shall occur, and furthermore to render all the operations automatic and positive of action.

To these ends the improvements consist in the novel construction and arrangement of parts hereinafter more particularly pointed out and described having reference to the accompanying drawings which illustrate a practical embodiment thereof.

In said drawings: Figure 1, is a plan view of the improved machine. Fig. 2, is a vertical central section taken substantially on the line 2, 2 of Fig.1, the carrier, however, being moved ahead somewhat to bring certain of the parts carried'thereby into the plane ofthe section.- Figs. 3 and 4 are diagrammatic horizontal sections showing more fully parts only partially seen in Fig. 1 and othersentirely hidden in that view. a Fig. 5, is an enlarged horizontal section of a.portion of the circumference Ofthe carrier. Fig. 6, is an underside 40 view of a portion of the carrier. Fig. 7, is an elevation of tlidlaterally movable supporting plate at the stacking position. Fig. 8, is a face elevation of a portion 'of the carrier, and Fig. 9, is a cross section on the line 9, 9, thereof. Fig. 10, is a diagrammatic plan of a modified construction.

The azgrious operating parts of the improved machine are supp'orted by a table A and a base B connectedto the table by a plurality of tie-bars a with the space between the table and base inclosed by. a casing C of wood, the whole of rectangular box shape adapted to rest on a bench'or table or to be secured to a suitable stand. 4 p l The machine consists in the main of a horizontally rotating carrier or wheel D serving as ameans for feeding and carrying the articles to be operated upon, such asislips or sheetd of paper, from their feed or supply position f, around and to the printing position 7), and

thence to the delivering or stacking position s,- so that the single instrumentality serves as a cans of successively feeding sheets'individually from a stacker bunch, as the impression member for supporting the sheet during the operation of printing and as a carrier for delivering the printed sheet. At the feeding position the carrier cooperates with a separator or wiper 20 that is fixed relatively to the movements of the carrier and serves to prevent the feed of more than one partiticle or sheet at a time. It also cooperates at the prints ing position with-a printing roll or die 30, the carrier and roll forming a printing couple'by which the article or sheet is printed; and at the delivering position with an end stop or stripper 40 adapted either to stop the A further'onward movement of the printed sheets and reassemble them in an orderly stack or bunch for revmoval or to insure their removal from the carrierfor subsequent collection or further manipulation. The

carrier D is secured to the upper end of a vertical spindle 50 having lp eagings in the machine table and base and may bipiovfled with an Operating handle 51, serving as one convenient means of rotating it and through it'other operating parts of the machine, as by means'of a toothed wheel 52 secured to said spindle.

To adapt the carrier to serve at once as a feeding means and as an impression member, the rim or circumferential surface thereof carries a. superimposed feed surface 19 preferably of soft rubber or; such other material as will in meeting an article or sheet free to move and coming intofrictionalsurface contact therewith at the feed position f cause such article or sheet to move onward with it; the wiper 20 serving simply to arrest the onward movement of all articles or sheets save the one in direct contact with said feed surface. The carrier rim also carries an impression surfacelg ot comparatively hard rubber or similar material which will preserve a smooth surface so that it will be incapa- -ble of removing an article orsheetfromthe feedposi- 9.5

tion against the dragging or hold back action of said wiper 20,- and yet will present a sufficiently yielding -bed to the printing roll or die during the printing operation as will preserve the face of the type or other characters-from injury. The feed surface 19 and impression surface 18 extend across the width or face of the carrier, the feed surface being of comparatively small circumferential area. and only suflicient to pro- I vide a surface that will insure; the feed of a sheet each time it passes the feed position f, while the impression 10 5 surface is circumferentially longer so that the sheet may be printed at. most any desired point along or throughout its length. The carrier; in the present representation of the invention'is of a diameterv suited to provide three distinct assoc'iated'feed'and impres: 1-1

sion surfaces, so that as shown each rotation of the carrier will result in the individual feeding, printing and delivery of three successive articles or sheets. Of course these feed and impression surfaces may be in- 5 creased or diminished according to the size of carrier employed or the length of article to be handled. convenient mode of securing these surfaces .to the rim of the carrier is best seen in Fig. 5 where the adjacent.

ends of the two surfaces 19, 18 are clamped to the carrier by the overlapping and slightly undercutflanges 7, of a transverse securing plate 8 held in place by one or more screws 9. Additional security against displacement of the feed and impression surfaces may be had by providing transverse grooves 10, in the rim immediately underlying the ends of said surfaces so that the flanges of tliesecuririg plate will bend the material into said grooves as well as become embedded therein. The securing plates 8, provide a metal surface interposed between the feed and impression surfaces to break the continuity of said two surfaces'and to present a sinoothor non-feed surface which forms a marked functionalrontrast over the fecd'surfacc so that the danger of improperly feeding succeeding articles "avoided. The fced'surface or surfaces 1.9, may be cireumfercntially or longitudinally grooved, as indicated in Figs. 8 and 9. Such grooving has been found in I practice to increase the efficiency of the feed. As an adjunct to each food surface of the arrier there is provided a gripper 17 arranged and caused temperate.

30. "to clamp and hold the leading end of the article or sheet being fed by said feed surface to said surface and the carrier shortly after it has passed beyond the separator 0r wiper 20,-so that the sheet is positivelycarried onward by the carrier until it is releasedv and allowed to rest at the delivery position. These grippers are mounted in the carrier and are timely operated by a closing cam 16 located just in advance of the feed position f, andby'an opening or releasing cam 15 locatedat the delivery or stacking position 3. The grippers 17 may obviously be 40 of any desired construction; as shown, however, each gripper. consists .of a pair of suitably curved spring bladcswvhich pass through curved slots in the carrier and are secured to hubs 14 carried by a rock pin 13 that is mounted in a bearing located on the carrier between 15 the gripper blades.

. l2 inposition-to meet and ride along the inclined sure face of each of the cams 16, 15, as seen in Fig. i. The closing. and opening movements of'the gripper ishad. against a spring 11, see Fig. 6, oneend of which is connected to the carrier-rim and the other to a pinv onthe gripperhuband which is so located as to complete the closing and opening throw of the gripper as its cam-roll collides with the respective cams and to holdit in'said moved positions. The inherent springof the gripper blades permits them to yield in grasping articles of varying or uneven thickness while .also caused, to

I grasp under the tension of the gripper spring-11, 4 I k I slot 5, .cut n the; spindle. with one end'bearing against H Each Q f thG CQ-PI S J-lE), is sccurul to the top face Q of the machine...table.by suitable screws which pass I .60 through slots in tl1e -cams.to permit a slight adjustment their, positions to obtain accuracy intime of- .giipporn ovement The position of the opening 61:

releasing. cam. 15 representing in effect the delivery or stacking member of the machine, may, however, be

. 6 v wholly changedand mgwedbackward toward theprint- One of the hubs carries a camroll i the printed product. Such changed position is indicated by the two screw holes b, in Fig. 4. The end stop 40 or equivalent abutment, needed in practice to insure the orderly stacking of the printed product, will of course be changed in position to coincide with any change in position of the gripper opening cam 15.

The separator or wiper 20, see Fig. 1,-isl provided by a flexible strip of rubber or other suitable material arranged so that its free. end constantly bears with a prop ef 7 5 amount of friction against the surface of the rotating carrier D. As shown, it is carried by a support 21, that is inclined to the feed and is removablyfixed to the machine table or table plate 57, by screws 22, which pass through slots in the support to permit a slight adjustment of the wiper with respect to the surface of the carrier to vary the degree of pressure exerted by the free end of the wiper against the carrier. This particular form of wiper with a feed carrier is, however, the subject matter of another pending application filed by me on or about April 14, 1906, Serial N 0. 311645, and'may obviously be replaced by any other-device suited to insure the feed of individual pieces of matter froln a stack or pile and may be wholly omittedwhere'each piece of matter is individually and otherwise presented to the carrier so as to be grasped by the gripper thereof.

In advance of the wiper there is mounted a roller 23, arranged to bear against the surface of the carrier to aid in holding the pieces of matter to the carrier; such roller being grooved as represented in Fig. 4, to permit the movement of the ends of the gripper blades to their grasping position asearlyas possible-after the-head of the piece of matter emerges past the'wiper, so that the feeding function of the rubber surface 19.n1-a-y. terminate early inthe rotation of the carrier beyond the feeding 100 position and thus reduce the-necessary: circumferential area of said feed surface. This-roller .23, is shown as rotated by frictional .contactmvith thecarrier, but it obviously may bepositively drivcnif desired.

The printing roll,- ordie 30, is suitablylnou'ntedi on a 105 "spi-ndle31, that isisupported inbearings-provided in a roclcframe 32,..w-hiclrhas limited motion on a pivot 33, see Fig.- .3 ,1\carried by the qua-chine base and table.

The die and rockframe may yieldwitlrrcspect to the surfaceofthe .cairifceragailist the tOHSlOII'Df a printing pressure pring tifli and the inner position of the die is deter 'n inpflg by an; adjusting screw stop 35 ;,bearing against therock frafne in opposition to the spring.

The die spindle 31, Fig. 2, carries-a freely rotatable toothedpini on .36, in mesh with the teeth of the gear wheel. -52 ,-g on thecarrier spindle. 51. This pinion is preferably fo gmodi of. raw hide or other like material and is. mounted betwcen flanged, head 3'1, fast to the spindleand a (h -35, which is longitudinally. movable on the spindli'z, but rotatable therewith The flanged head, pinign a-n d disk are held inclose frictional contactby means of a suitable spring,39, proj eeting into a the disk through the interposition of slidable key (3, in saidslotand the other end against-one wall of the slot, with the result thatthe die isrotated by means ,Of a frictional connection betw eon the pinion 36 and the spindle 31 W-hile this eonstruct'ionis exceedingly simple and effee tive isob vioi stl'f at other modes of rotatingj the die may be employed, or'ic quivalent driving connection between the driver and the die, permits, in the present and preferred embodiment of the invention, the die to be normally restrained from rotation as by a movable abutment 24, and a stop 25, which in this instance is carried by the flanged head 37, notwithstanding the rotations of the carrier. And means are provided by which said abutment may be moved at the proper time to permit the rotation of the die, such movement being governed by the presence of the article to be operated upon in manner to be described.

The carrier is provided with one or more contact studs 26, equal in number to the associated feed and impression surfaces of the carrier, which studs are arranged to'successively meet and rock an arm 27, suitably connected to move the abutment 24, away from 'the'die stop.25. In the preferred construction the arm 27 normally occupies a position in the path of each of the studs 26, so that the die will bereleased and allowed to rotate at. regular intervals. To render the contact stud or studs incapable of causing a movement of the abutment should no article or sheet be carried by the carrier, as by a failure in the feed or from other causes, article operated means are provided for controlling the relative positions of the contact stud and the arm 27. In the preferred'embodiment of the invention asshown, these means, Without thereby limiting the scope of the inventionthereto, are arranged to control the position of the arm, in that said arm- 27, is removed or rocked idly outof the path of movement of the contact stud in the absence of the article so that such stud 26, will pass withouthaving caused any operation of the printing roll or die. These article operated means consist of a contact piece or pin 4, which if an article or sheet be absent will, at the proper moment; automatically move out of its normal position to engage a lever 3, connected to move the arm 27 in advance of the possible contact of the-stud 26 therewith. On the other hand, if there be a. sheet present the pin will be prevented from movement by contact of the sheet therewith so that the arm 27 will remain in position to be subsequently moved by the contact stud. The contact piece 4, one for each feed surface provided by the carrier, consists of amdially movable pin mounted in bearings the carrier 1), having at its inner end a roll or stud 2 for engagement with a flange or guard 28 fixed to the machine table adjacent the bearing for the carrier, with the outer end I so of said pin exposed at the circumference of the carrier so that at the critical moment when it is necessary to control the position of the arm 27 with respectto the contact stud 26 the presonceoi' the article or sheet on the carrier in overlying the pin will hold it in its normal or non-protruding position so that the lever 3 is not met by the roll 2 of the pin with the result that the arm 27 remains in position to be moved by the contact therewith of the stud 26 and the die is rotated at the proper moment. If, however, the article or sheet be not on the carrier tit-"e pin 4 is free to protrude beyond the ,ci r- ,cumierencethereof under the tension of a suitable spring 1, so that the roll 2 is brought to a position to move the lever Sand thereby rock the arm 27 out oi on the unoccupied impression surface.

' the path of movement of the contact stud 26 with the result that the die remains at rest and no'printingoccurs The flange or cam 28, against the inner surface of which the roll 2 of the pin 4 normally travels, is in the main concentric with the axis of rotation of the carrier, but is shaped or cut away at a point 0 coincident or thereabouts with the-feed position of the carrier, so that said roll,vif there be no sheet on thecarrier to hinder the radial movement of the pin will, under the tension of the spring 1, pass outward from the flange 28 so as to travel on its outer surface and meet the curved end of the lever 3, to rock it, see Fig. '4 and thereby move the arm 27 The flange 28 is also shaped at another point e to meet the outwardly moved roll 2 and guide it back to the inner side of the fiange'thereby withdrawing the protruding end of the pin 4. The lever 3 is pivoted at (1 to themachine table and is curved to form a path concentric with the flange 28 when said lever has been moved by the contact of the roll 2 therewith so that said lever shall be held thereby in its moved position for a definite length of time, that is to say until the con; tact stud 26 shall have had time to pass idly beyond the arm 27 without having moved it. The lever 3 is moved outwardly by the onward travel of the roll 2 against the pressure of a suitable spring 29, and when said roll has traveled to the end or contacting portion oithe lever, said spring will act to return the lever to its normal position at the same time returning the arm 27 to its position in the path of travel of' the succeeding contact stud 26. Should a sheet be taken by the carrier, the roll 2, by reason of its pin 4 being prevented. from radial movement by contact with the overlying sheet, will pass the opening in the flange 28 arid continue to travel around against the innerside oi said flange thereby transmitting no movement to the lever3 and arm 27 so that the die will rotate at the proper time and print the sheet. Continuing its, travel around the innerside of the flange 28 the roll will pass the other opening therein (made for the return of the roll at the point 6) without affecting the position of the pin 4 for the reason that the sheet is still on the carrier and confines it to its inner position. Between the travel of the roll 2 from the point e to the point 0, the shee' ,will have been delivered so that said roll will be free to inovo outward at the point 0 should no sheet be taken by the carrier at the feed position.

The arm 27 is carried at the outer end of a-rock pin 41 that is mounted in bearings in the machine table, and is connected to be moved by the lever 3, as by alink 42. The arm 27 has slight play on said rock-pin to allow the lever 3 to move the arm out of the path of movement of the contact stud when no printing is to occur without having moved said rock-pin. The inner end of the rock-pin carries fast thereto a second arm .43 that is connected by a'link 44 to the lever 45 carrying the abutment 24, for the die stop 25, so that-when the arm" 27 is moved by the contact stud 26 the abutment-carry ing lever will be rocked against the pull of a suitable spring 46 to release the die and allow it to rotate. As soon as the com-act stud leaves the arm 27 the parts immediately return to tlnir normal positions with the abutment 24 ready to m rl the stop 25 upon the com pletion of a single rotation o? the die and restrain its further movement for the time being, and at the same time the arm 27 will have been returned ready to meet a succeeding contact stud to effect another printing movement of the die.

The abutment 24 is of star-wheel shape rotativcly mounted in the lever to present a plurality of bearing iaces to the stop and. thereby distributing the wear thereon; and the lever -15 is mounted on a pivot stud l? its normal and active position being defined by a stop 48. The frictional driving of the die and the restraining abutment are similar in construction and operation to that set forth in my pending application before mentioned.

The printing roll or die 30 maybe inked in any proper manner, as by a felt ink roll 53 which instead of being rotated byits frictional contact with the die is rotated by its frictional Contact with a positively rotated roll 54, said roll having a gear 55 fast to its spindle which receives motion from the rile spindle gear 36 through an intermediate 56 as indicated by dotted lines in Fig. l..'

The passing sheet on the carrier may be prevented from. contact with the inking devices by suitable guard (54.

vAt the delivery or stacking position 5, the onward travel of the reassembled articles up-ui tlien'elease of the grippers in passing the releasing cam 15 is stopped by the end stop 40 which is shown adjustably mounted by the provision of slots and a screw it) to the table plate 57 which in this instance forms an extension 01' the surface of the machine table at the stacking position or the reception of the reassembled articles. This plate may be continued around to the feed position to serve as a support for the articles in position to be fed to or taken by the carrier. At the stacking position the reassembled articlcs may be supported vertically by a plate 58 in the iorm of a spring carried by asupport 50 laterally movable along the edge of the table plate, see Fig. 7..

In order to adapt the machine to print at any predetermined point on the article carried by;the carrier, the contact stud or studs 26 is or are adjustable or the carrier so that it or they may be set to meet and move the arm 27 either earlier or later in the presentation of the article or sheet to the printing roll or.die 30. this purpose the studs 26 are carried by a ring 60 that is supported in guides (52 on the e rrier so as to be ca pable of a rotative movement in said guides independent of the carrier ato position the studs at a point with respect to the head of the sheet that will cause the timely operation of the arm 27 to bring the impression of the die on the sheet at the desired place. Alter adjustment oi the ring it may be securcdin place by a thumb screw (31 as seen in Fig. 2. In the position of the contact studs 26, shown in Figs, 3 and 4, the printing will occurnear the leading end or head of the sheet, so that to change the point of printing on the sheet the ring will be adjusted backwardly so as to bring the studs say in. the position indicated by the dotted lines in Fig. 3 which will delay the printing until the head ol the sheethas passed some distance beyond the printing roll or die.

In operating the machine, the articles or sheets to be printed are presented singly or, by PlOfOltlllCl. in

bulk at the feed position f, resting on their longitudi nal edges at a tangent to the carrier surface and at the.

left hand side thereof immediately in rear of the separator or wiper 20 with the forward surface of the innermost article against the surface of the carrier D as indicated by the single dotted line as, in Fig. ind otherwise supported vertically by a somewhat distant roller For j 63. On rotation being imparted 'to the carrier tlie'fee'd l "surface 19, thereof first arriving at the feed position will rest of the sheets, and thence under'the 'roll'23 The gripper which had passed the feeding position in its closing cam 16 to its closed position to gripping the leading end of the sheet sothatthe sheet is positively carried onward with the carrier to the point of dis overlays the end of the radially movable pin 4 so that around on the inner-side of said flangeuntil it'a'gain its absence will determine whether the pin remains within the flange or passes outward through the openpin 4 remaining in its inward position, the arm 27 con that during the continued rotationof the carrier the arrow thereon and thereby througlrthe connections release of the printing roll willhave takenplace (as rier with its gripper has moved the sheet so that its head or leading end is about to pass the printingposition so that the impress oi the roll will take place near how the contact stud may have been previously located or adjusted, while the in'ipression surface l8 of the carrier with the sheet is passing that position, The fainting roll having acted, the carrier with the printed sheet continues moving toward the delivery he opened to release the sheet by its cam roll l2 meetthe carrier surface as indicated by lhcldotrt-ed lined", F 1, on the table plate 57 with itslcadlng end adjacent the end stop 40 and supported in its vertical position by the spring plate 58. In delivering theprintcd sheet the gripper moves with the head 01 the, sheet positively behind those previously delivered and leaves it at rest without inteiienence therefrom. These several actions and operations ortlnr-parts will be repealed with the ease of each associatedleed KITI'ZTCO, gripper and imprc :sion surface with which the carrier may he provided so long s an article or sheet'shall be taken by the carrier. Should, however, the carrier .mil to take a shectirom the [ceding position, the gripper will lose down as before, but shortly after doing s the roll arriving at the opening {1 in the [hinge 2S andthe pin 4 in the absence oi a Slim-1; being now tree to mow der the pressure oi the spring 1., and in the continued movement of the carrierwvill strike the curved end f the lever B asin Fig. 1, and rock that lever out wardly and thereby move the arm 27, idly out of the path of open position 1;, Fig. 4, is immediately thrown by ing 0. A sheet being present in this instance and the stud will meet and rock the arni intliedirectionoi the 90 heretofore described remove the a-butinent 24ironi the stop 25 to permit the printing roll :30 to rotate. The

the parts are shown as adjusted) shortly aiter the car-.

the head of that sheet, and in any event, no matter 1 or stacking position whereupon the gripper which hadv been closed to grasp the sheet adjacent the feed posi tion and has continued its hold on that sheet will now contact with the" innermost sheet and drag it along under the wip er 20, which is actively holding back the I 15 charge. In gripping the sheet to the carrier the sheet its roll 2 is prevented from passing out through the opening 0 in the flange .28 and will continue to travel I arrives at said opening when the presence of a sheet or v v 8 5 sequently remains project-ing across the path of move ment of the contact stud .36, as indicated in Fig. 3, so Y ing the releasing cam=.15 as indicated by the dotted lines, Fig. 4, and will leave the sheet at a tringent to L radially outward, will move through said opening un- I novement of the contact stud 26, so that said stud will pass the arm without-having caused the release of the printing roll. The roll 2 i the pin 4 will continueto travel on the outside of the flange 28 with the outer end of the pin 4 protruding beyond the periphery'oi the 2 carrier as indicated at the right of Fig. 1, until said roll meets the portion e of said flange and is thereby" guided to the innerside of that flange whereupon the protruding end of the pin is withdrawn and held withdrawn until the next opportunity to protrude arises by reason of the absence of a sheet. These several actions and operations oi-the parts will berepeated and hence is relieved of the additional duty of positively moving it from a protruding position when being taken by the carrier. It will be noticed, also, that the point of protrusion of the pin 4 is adjacent to the grasp: ing point of the grippers upon the sheet held to the carrier so that there is little strain against the sheet in holding the pin from protrusion at the time of the roll 2 passing the opening 0, thereby rendering immaterial the character or quality of the material handled by the machine. I

In the modified structure shown in Fig. 10 the carrier D is provided with the feed and impression surfaces 191, 181 similar to those before described and connected to the carrier by flanged securing plates 81, 82; the impression surfaces occupying only a portion of the circumferential area of the carrier The feed position f and the delivery position a are arranged nearer the printing position and the carrier is adapted to take two articles or sheets at each revolution instead of three as before. The printing roll or die 30, its restraining devices and their mode of operation are thesame. The article engaging devices consist of a rock arm 142 pivoted to the carrier and carrying at one end a contact roll 261 with other end ,141 arranged to be engaged by the overlying article or in the absence of the article to. project beyond the periphery or the carrier under the pull oi a spring 111-. When a sheet is taken by the feed surface the rock-armis moved so that its contact roll 261 is in position to strike and move the arm 271 which in this instance is fast to the rock pin il'to thereby rock the abutment lever 45 as before. If,

' however, a sheet be not taken by the carrier, the rock arm 142 will not be moved, its sheet engaging end will protrude beyond the surface of the carrier after passing the separator wiper 20 and the contact roll 261 will lie in its outer position and escape the arm 271 and no printing will occur. To change the position of printing.on the sheet so that the printing roll 30 will act earlier or nearer the head of the sheet, the contact roll 261 is movably mounted in a slot 143 in the rock-arm 142, its position being adjusted by means of a wing nut 144. The travel of the sheet taken by the carrier from the feed position f may be aided by the interposition of one or more'fced bands 233 that are stretched around grooved rollers 231 and 232 which bands also act, to hold the sheet on the carrier. And the untimely protrusion of the sheet engaging end 141 of the rock arm maybe prevented by a fixed guard 281 in position to engage the contact roll. At the end of the guard, however, the rock arm will be moved under the pull of its spring 111, to protrude its end 141 as indicated by the dotted lines and thereby project the leading end of the sheet outward from the carrier so that it will be guided outwardby the delivery guide 401. This mode of. delivering the sheet'may be aided by a rotated roll 234, indicated dotted lines. The articles may be supported at the feed position by a plurality of idle rolls631.

While the carrier and printing roll are shown of com-. paratively short widthwise dimensions, such as may be suited to print formal indorsements or other matter on the backs of checks and the like, it is obvious that the machine is not limited thereto. Neither are the improvements restricted to the proportionate sizes of the carrier and printing roll shown, as it is obvious they may be changed as required by the character of the articles to be handled by the machine and as will suit the printing requirements and the quantity of matter to be printed. All the bearings for the several spindles oi the machine are located below the plane of travel of the articles so that the use of overhanging bearings is avoided and the machines not restricted to handle articles under a given width. 4

It is apparent that the improvements are susceptible of various modifications and that they are adapted to other uses than mere printing; and further, while it is preferred to employ the horizontal form of machine shown with vertically arrangedspindles, the machine with but slight mechanical change is adapted to be turned on one of its sides so that the spindles become horizontal and the articles instead of traveling on their longitudinal edges travel horizontally on their broad faces. So far as the article controlled elements of the present invention are concerned, it is obviousjthat the sheets or other pieces of matter may be presented thereto in any suitable manner.

What is claimed is:

1. A prlnting couple, the impression member of which comprises a continuous surfaced rotary carrier in the periphery of which is inset n fixedly mounted frictional feed surface, and a gripper carried by said carrier for gripping the piece taken by said feed-surface to the carrier.

2. A printing couple, the impression member of which consists of a continuous surfaced rotary carrier in the periphery of which is inset a'fixediy mounted frictional feedsurface, a gr-ipper carried by said carrier for gripping the piece taken by-said feed surface to the carrier, and a concting wiper of adhesive material preventing said feed surface from taking more than one piece at a time.

3. A printing couple, the impression member of which consists of a rotary carrier in the perlphery of which is inset a frictional feed surface, the printing member of which ls normally at rest, a means on the carrier movable with, respect thereto and controlled by thepresence of the article to be printed for causing the timely movement of -the printing member.

-l A printing couple, the printing member of which is normally at rest, the impression member of which consists of a rotary carrier, means on the carrier movable with respect thereto and controlled by the presence of the article thereonyand a. connection with said means and with the printing member for causing the timely cooperatlon 01 said two members."

5. A carrier provided with a frictional feed surface and an impression surface. a wiper coactinxr with the feed surface and bearing against the carrier, at gripper for holding the piece to the carrier taken by the feed surface, means' rest printing roll coacting with the impression surface.

7. A carrier provided with a frictional feed surface and an impression surface. a wiper coactiug with the feed sue face and bearing gainst the carrier, a roll in advance of the \viper also b, ring against the carrier, a gripper for holding the piece to the carrier taken by the feed surface, means for operating the gripper, and a printing roll coacting with the impression surface.

8. The combination of a rotatable printing member nor mally at rest, a rotary impression member, and means on the in'ipression member and rotative therewith adapted to be engaged and moved relative to said impression member by the article to be printed for controlling the rotative cooperation of the two members.

5'). The combination of a rotary printing couple one member \vhereoi' is normally at rest, and an article controlled device mounted on and rotatable with the other member and adapted to be engaged and moved relative to said other member by the article to be printed for determining the rotative cooperation of both members.

10. The combination of a rotary printing couple, vibraiory means for controlling the printing movement of the printing member thereof and mounted independent of said couple, and an article controlled device mounted on and rota! c with the impression member and movable relative to said member by the engagement therewith of the article to be printed for determining the movement of said vibralory means.

11. The combination of aprinting member normally at rest, an impression member, contact pieces one of which is carried by the impression member for causing the cooperation of the two members and means carried by the impression member and adapted to be engaged by the article 1o be printed for controlling the coaction of said contact pieces.

12. The combination of a printing member normally at rest, an ,impression member, an arm and connections mounted independent of said members for controlling the ,eoaction of said two members, a contact carried by the m member, and article engaged means on ion member for controlling the engagement of arm and contact. d

2;. The combination oi a printing couple, an abutment tor coutrolling the movement of the printing member thercof and having a contact engaging-piece, means for can 'ing the article to be printed and having a contact for engaging sa d engagingpiece, and an article controlled device on the carrying means for determining the engagement of the contact and engaging piece.

1%. The combination of a printing member normally at st, an impre sion member, an abutment controlling the pcration of vaid two members, an arm for moving said abutment, a contact on the impression member for engagthe controlling the coaction of said two members,

the-

ing said arm, and an article engaged means on [he pression member for controlling the position of said arm with respect to said contact.

15. The combination of a'printing member normally at rest, an impression member, an arm and connections for controlling the emotion of said two members, an adjust,

ably mounted contact carried by the impression member, and an article engaged means on the impression member for controlling the engagement of the arm and contact.

113. The combination of a printing member normally at rest, an impression member, an arm and connections for controlling the coaction of said two members, a traveling contact for engaging said'arm, and a traveling articleengaged means for controlling the engagement of the arm and contact.

17. The combination of a printing member normally at rest, an impression member, an arm and connections for controlling the coaction of said'two members, a plurality oi contacts carried by the impression member, and a pinrality of article engaged means'on the impression member tor controlling the engagement of the arm and contacts.

18. The combination of a printing member, an impression member, an armand connections-tor controlling the means 'on the impression member fol-controlling the en gagement of the arm and contacts.

15). The combination of a printi member, an impression member, an arm and connections for controlling the eoaction of said two members, a contact carried by the impression member for engaging said arm, an article engaged means, and a lever connected to move said arm by contact therewith of said means when no article is present.

'20. The combination of a printing member normally at rest, an impression member, an arm and connections for a contact carried by the impression member for engaging said arm. an article engaged means for controlling the engagement of the arm and contact and an interrupted guard governing the movement of said means independent of thearticle.

21. Thecombinationof a printing member normally at rest; a sheet carr serving also as theimpression member and having a gripper to grasp the sheet to the carrier, sheet controlled means on the carrier for determining the operation of the printing member, 'a delivery plate for the printed sheet and a gripper releasing de ice adjacent said plate. l 

